World oil prices have started increasing today due to a fall in requests for unemployment benefits in the US, RIA Novosti reports.
February futures for Light Sweet Crude Oil increased by $0.19 (0.19%) to $99.72 per barrel at 8.41 am. The futures for Brent increased in price by $0.33 (0.31%) to $108.22 per barrel.
Demand for unemployment benefits in the US dropped by 4,000 to 364,000 in the week that ended on December 17, as reported on Thursday. Analysts expected the number to rise by 12,000.
US economic indicators influence oil prices, senior analyst of MineLife Pty Ltd., Gavin Wendt, says.
